Directions

The repeated risings add extra flavor and moist texture. This is similar to Panettone but I discovered it in Lugano, an Italian part of Switzerland on Lake Lugano. We stayed in Gandria where there are no cars so we took boats everyday and walked wherever we needed to go. We went to a bakery called Munger's in Lungano and sampled their Kirsch filled Amereti Cookies that have bottoms dipped in chocolate, Rhubarb tart and this Triestine bread, which was $18.00 but worth it! It comes originally from the town of Triest in Switzerland (I believe) and uses candied orange peel and citron peel plus sugared almonds instead of Panettone's traditional golden raisins. It lasts for days, staying moist and delicious and it's wonderful toasted as well. We bought one on our honeymoon and noshed on it in our hotel room for almost week, bringing hunks of it down to breakfast in the morning to have with the best milky cafe con leche ever. It even made it back to Chicago for us to snack on while we reminisced about our fabulous trip.

To make the Biga: In a mixer with a dough hook, dissolve the yeast with warm water; then add the sugar and let rest 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix on low until smooth. Cover and let rise until it triples in bulk.

To make the Dough1st Stage: In a small cup, dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit 5 minutes. Add it to the biga and mix with the dough hook. Add the yolks, sugar and 1 1/3 cups flour and mix 5 minutes on medium speed until shiny and smooth. Cover and put in a warm spot (70 degrees F) and let rise again until it triples in bulk.

After it has tripled, make begin the 2nd Stage: Add the 3 1/2 cups flour, honey, half the butter, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the 9 yolks, and the milk. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed, add the remaining sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Knead 5 more minutes.

With the mixer running, add 10 tablespoons butter, one tablespoon at a time. The dough should look smooth and shiny and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Place it on a work surface and schmear it with the remaining tablespoon of butter and add the orange peel and citron and knead by hand until blended. Shape into a ball and place in a covered bowl and let double in bulk.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 2 balls. Place the chopped almonds on a surface and roll the balls in them to coat well; then roll the balls in powdered sugar to coat heavily.

Place each ball in a buttered panettone mold (straight walled paper cake pan). Let rise covered for 1 hour or until it springs back when poked and risen past the rim. Sprinkle well with powdered sugar again.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown. To cool, stick 2 skewers through the base of the paper mold and suspend the bread upside down by resting the skewers on 2 containers which are taller (higher) than the bread.